If you haven’t booked the company Christmas party yet, VIU’s Seasonal Soireé is the perfect venue! From left: VIU students Cassidy Berry, Kim Aliguyon and Max Goering are excited to make and serve food to guests on December 1.
November 9, 2017 - 10:30am
December 1 event a chance for students to showcase skills
Vancouver Island University (VIU) Culinary Arts and Hospitality students are kicking off December with a sweet and savoury soireé that will delight your taste buds.
The Seasonal Soireé will feature a one-of-a-kind menu made and served by VIU Culinary and Hospitality students and live entertainment in a festive setting. It takes place Friday, December 1 in the main cafeteria at VIU’s Nanaimo Campus.
“The whole night is going to be really focused on the food and service,” says Debbie Shore, Chair of VIU’s Culinary Arts programs. “We’ve got an impressive menu lined up, from our canapé reception, to a three-course plated dinner, to a dessert buffet.”
The event is an important part of her students’ curriculum, says Shore. Students practice three different styles of serving food - stations, a plated service and a buffet service - and put together a range of fine dining menu items, from lobster bisque shots, to a house-made charcuterie plate, and salmon and sturgeon roulade with prawn mousse. People with specific dietary needs can also be accommodated.
“It really solidifies all the classroom learning we’ve done - it’s a practical and real application of that knowledge,” says Max Goering, a first-year Culinary Arts student. “To prepare for the event, we’ve been learning how to make up a menu with harmonious flavours, colours and textures, and practicing different presentation styles. It’s going to be a great event for the students as much as our guests.”
For Hospitality students, it’s a chance to get some practical experience on their resumes, says Kim Aliguyon, a second-year Hospitality Management student.
“There are a lot of job opportunities that require this kind of experience,” she says. “I’m looking forward to serving guests at the soireé and also leading the first-year students.”
Are you still looking for the perfect venue for the company Christmas party? Shore says the Seasonal Soireé is a perfect opportunity - on top of the mouth-watering menu items and live entertainment courtesy of local jazz band Double Play, the program has booked a VIU shuttle bus to give people safe rides home if they want to enjoy an alcoholic beverage.
The Seasonal Soireé starts at 6 pm in the Upper Cafeteria (Building 300 on VIU’s Nanaimo Campus). Tickets are $49 and available until November 24. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. For more information and to buy tickets, visit Eventbrite, call 250.740.6289 or email Discovery.Room@viu.ca.
To learn more about VIU’s Culinary Arts programs, come to a free info session on December 7. Click here to learn more about VIU’s Hospitality Management programs.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Jenn McGarrigle, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University
P: 250.740.6559 | C: 250.619.6860 | E: Jenn.McGarrigle@viu.ca | T: @VIUNews
Tags: Student Success
